First step is to sort out the no-go areas says United Future

By BERNARD ORSMAN

United Future leader Peter Dunne says his party wants a role in Government and a written agreement to keep Labour honest.

Mr Dunne, whose party of nine MPs is a potential ally for Helen Clark in the new Government, is likely to insist that Labour puts a stop to liberalising the cannabis laws.

The centrist, Christian-focused United Future is likely to make a Commission for the Family another bottom line.

"We need to have a clear understanding before we start where the no-go areas might be so that we can deal with them now," Mr Dunne said.

Prime Minister Helen Clark waited until 11.15 yesterday morning before calling Mr Dunne to discuss the election results and its implications.

She was much faster talking to Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons. Only after the two had spoken on election night did Clark declare a status quo result for the parties of the centre-left.

Mr Dunne said he and the Prime Minister "agreed that we should keep in touch from time to time over the next few days as things just settle down".

He said that if Helen Clark chose to govern in a minority coalition with the support of the Greens, United Future would not feel obliged to give the Government backing on supply and confidence.

Mr Dunne said Labour (52 MPs) and United Future (9) could have an outright majority of 61 in the 120-seat Parliament without the help of any other parties.

He said the best thing Labour had done in the past three years was provide a semblance of stable Government. The worst thing about Labour was the perception it had an agenda of political correctness on issues suc as the Treaty of Waitangi and the Property (Relationships) Act.

The United Future MPs, eight of whom are new to Parliament, will hold their first caucus meeting tomorrow.

"There is a sense we have got a critical mass to be able to play a role [in Government] and if we are going to play a role then we should attempt to do so properly," Mr Dunne said.

That role could be anything from supporting a minority Labour Government on confidence and money supply to a formal coalition.

He said any agreement with Labour would have to be in writing for three years to ensure that United Future was not taken for granted or subject to ambush and surprise.

Mr Dunne envisaged the kind of written agreement the former United Party had with National in 1996. That had one important clause that the policy of the Government was the policy agreed by the two caucuses, he said.

"In other words, all policies started there. If they didn't get signed off there then they didn't proceed."

United Future president Inky Tulloch said it was ironic that the Greens had destabilised the last Government and were now going to get back and do it again. "The people of New Zealand deserve better.

"Clearly we are a party of the centre ... Our door is open and we are willing to talk," Mr Tulloch said.

"The reality is New Zealand wants a stable, three-year Government.

"The people of New Zealand have spoken very clearly that United Future is the way they want this Government to go. Stability. Good family-friendly policies and a person like Peter Dunne with good commonsense and eight strong MPs to take this country forward."

One of the new MPs, Wellington lawyer Murray Smith, said United Future was probably economically closer to National but socially closer to Labour.

Challenged on United Future's views on the family, Mr Smith said he did not know what Labour thought the family was because it never mentioned it.

"It seems to be obvious. Biologically, a mother and father are meant to be together raising children. We see that as the norm."

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